By Thom Watson

(KNS)Jacksonville, Fl - The Lumber Unlimited Late Model series had to be shortened to 15 laps, from the regular 30 lap feature,

but David Browning came on just past the halfway point to dominate a race that featured four restarts before the first official lap was run.

On the start, Jason Fitzgerald got bumped going into turn one and went off the track. On the second restart, Homer Leonard and Ronnie Chance got together in about the same place, but managed to keep their cars going straight. At the tail end of the line of starters, Fred Shell went off the track and another restart was coming.

On the third restart, with a required single file restart, Steve Whitener and Don Halliday got together in turn four. There still was not an official lap in the books. Finally on the fourth restart, they were able to get one lap in before the yellow flew once again. In turn one on lap two, Chuck Crews spun by himself. Two laps after the restart, Leonard, who was still leading, just quit coming out of turn two. He only managed to get to turn four before he stopped rolling, bringing another caution flag out.

Meanwhile, Browning was moving towards the front, on lap six he finally went down low in turn two to get by Chance. After three more yellow flags, and with Chuck Chitty, who won last week, on his tail for the last five laps, the checkers, instead of the yellow flag, finally flew for Browning. Chitty was second with Fitzgerald coming home third.

In the River Adventures Houseboat Vacation Open Wheel Modified feature race, current points leader, Mark Whitener won going away. Starting in the fourth position, Mark Whitener, was at the point position after a nice move in the low groove on the front stretch to get by pole sitter David Hart on lap two. After that it was only the cautions that kept Whitener in everyone else's sight. On each restart, he would take off and leave everybody in the dust. He eventually won by more than 10 car lengths. The real battle was for second between Steve Whitener and Bo Allen. After a lap 16 restart, the two battled for the runner-up spot, with Steve able to hang despite the constant hounding by Allen.

Points leader, Scott Nolan, took the lead just past halfway and went on to win the Rusty Acres Auto- motive Hobby Stock feature. Despite Nolan's eighth starting position, he ws able to avoid several early race spins and finally take the lead as he took the low groove coming off turn two and made the pass on Boy O'Steen going down the backstretch on lap eight. A scary scene on lap ll, in which Windal Clark went off the track on the backstretch and flipped his car ended well as he was able to walk away. On the ensuing restart, Nolan was able to get a good jump and went on to a two-car length lead. O'Steen finished second with Chuck Hall taking third.

The Duval Ford Powder Puff feature had the current points leader, Robin Clark, and last year's champion, Kim "Grumpy" Lester, battling each other for the lead in the first half of the race. On the start, Amber Hammons and Shawn Thompson got together in turn one and a complete restart was the result. On the restart, Lester quickly jumped out to the lead and was able to hold it until she spun in turn two on lap three. On the restart, Clark got a good jump and set sail for the checkers. Despite another caution on lap seven, Clark went on to a three-car length winand widened her points lead.

In the Precision Printing and Signs Sportsman feature, Brian Smith, continued his dominance as he won his sixth race of the year out of seven starts. Through the luck of the spin of the wheel, Smith was able to start in the pole position. He didn't need the help, as he was able to lead wire-to-wire and widen his points lead even more with the win. Chad Grogan, who started in the fifth position, was able to move into second on lap 15, but that was as far as he was going to get. Randy Clark, Sr. rounded out the top three. After the completion of the race, the protests started with Clark protesting Smith's car and then Smith turning around and protesting against Clark's car. This would be the second protest of the year against Smith, the first exomerated him completely with everything being legal and above board. At press time, offical results were not available for the Sportsman division.

by Thom Watson

Click Here for links to all 2002 News Articles

Copyright© Future Enterprises 1997-2002 KARNAC.com is electronically published by Future Enterprises. The KARNAC© name, logo and trademarks are owned by and used with the permission of Future Enterprises of Florida. Reproduction or republishing in whole or part for inclusion in any work is strictly prohibited without prior written permission of the electronic publisher. Information may, however, be printed for the sole purpose of contacting our advertisers.